Training week of the DTM and Formula E drivers at Club La Santa
Team competition in house building rounds off the week
At Club La Santa in Lanzarote, the Audi drivers from DTM and Formula E together with Head of Audi Motorsport Dieter Gass and their team principals spent a week of intensive training in ideal outdoor conditions. At the end of the week, they were even challenged to build houses. “This was our fourth time at Club La Santa, which offers simply ideal conditions,” says Tom Kristensen. The Danish Le Mans record winner together with team physician Dr. Vincenzo Tota looks after the mental and physical strengths of the Audi factory drivers and every year surprises them with new sports and exciting challenges in Lanzarote. Road biking, mountain bike tours across lava fields, fat bikes on the beach, surfing, stand-up paddling, boxing, softball tennis, table tennis, water polo, swimming, beach volleyball, weight training, climbing and many other activities: for the DTM drivers, Loïc Duval, Robin Frijns, Jamie Green, Nico Müller, René Rast and Mike Rockenfeller, their Formula E colleagues, Daniel Abt and Lucas di Grassi, and their team principals the seven days on the Canary Island were anything but a relaxing vacation. “It’s about taking the drivers to their limits and building their strengths in the long run so that they’re able to do a perfect job for Audi in extreme situations,” says Kristensen. “Obviously, fun and teambuilding are part of the program.” |
The team competition at the end of the week that remains top secret until the last minute has almost become a tradition. This time the challenge was to build garden sheds within the space of barely three hours and to make them look like the huts that are used at race tracks. All three teams managed to do a near-perfect job of this. Each of the three creations showcasing different motorsport themes impressed the jury around Head of Audi Motorsport Dieter Gass. The three works of art will be displayed at Club La Santa and at childcare centers in Lanzarote. |